Planet Swans ArchivesLast season’s leading scorer has had a frustrating year. He scored goals for fun in pre-season and all the talk was of a partnership between him and Trundle lighting up the third division. He started against Bury, grabbed a goal against Bristol City and started at Cheltenham. And from then on in he lost his place as Kevin Nugent took his chance and deserved his place in the starting line-up. It is hard to argue with the decision to play Trundle and Nugent together, a decision which James Thomas agrees with, as he told the Wales on Sunday “But how can I complain when both Lee and Kevin Nugent are playing so well. They’ve been scoring goals so it’s not as if the gaffer’s had any case to drop them and for me to get out there and prove a point – well that’s been very hard.”
There have been calls for Thomas to be utilised off the bench in some games where it appeared that the preferred choice of forward partnership was not working on the day but it is now that Thomas finds himself with a chance to shine and make it difficult for Brian Flynn to drop him back to the bench when Trundle returns. Strikers are traditionally hungry when they have been out of action and we have to hope that last season’s 15-goal man is no exception.
“The way we’re creating chances, I feel if I was playing I’d score more than the 15 I got last year,” he added.
“Back then we weren’t creating anything at all but I still grabbed a few. Now we’re creating plenty so I’m sure I can get a few goals.
“To be honest I definitely felt the pressure last year because a lot of people were looking to me to get the goals and when I went through a bad patch I let it affect me.
“It didn’t help that I was playing out of position and I was at a bit of a low because I’m a real confidence player. You get more out of me when I’m on a high and I’m determined for that to be the case.”
Thomas should be an automatic choice in the games against Southend, Doncaster and Torquay but from then on it is whether Trundle and Nugent are preferred together upfront for the visit of Yeovil just after Christmas. Thomas warmed up for his return to first team action with a brace against Bristol City for the reserves in a 4-2 defeat last Wednesday and will be hoping to add to his one goal this season against a side that sits in one of the relegation spots next Saturday.
Thomas himself admits that he and Trundle are similar and believes that Flynn thinks the two of them cannot play together “The gaffer hasn’t really come out and said it but I think he doesn’t think me and Trundle can play together and he may well be right,” said Thomas. “We’re very similar, both left footed whereas Kevin is a good target man who will win you flick-ons and he’s a great old head to have around.”
But that isn’t to be the problem that Thomas needs to worry about for the next couple of weeks and after 7 goals in pre-season, Swans fans have to hope that he hasn’t lost that goal scoring touch. I’m sure that Mr Flynn would like a nice selection headache on December 28th?
Cometh the hour, cometh the man?
